Popcorn: Do You Err on the Side of Unpopped or Burnt?

I have an irrational fear of burnt popcorn. A single black, acrid kernel ruins an entire bag of microwave popcorn for me; even after tossing out the scorched parts, I can't get the smell (or the memory) out of my head. So I usually stop the microwave at the very first sign of a popping slowdown... and end up with a bag half-full of kernels. It's occurred to me that I could get a lot more popcorn if I gave it a few seconds longer, but I'm just not willing to take the risk.

A few friends think I'm crazy. "Just let it pop!" I've been told. But no—I'd rather unpopped kernels than burnt ones. Of course, it'd be better to have neither. But popping isn't an exact science.

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About the Author

I've been a part of Serious Eats since 2006, when I was Ed Levine's first intern. After a stint freelancing for New York and national publications, I came back as the New York editor in 2008 and then the Senior Managing Editor, overseeing all of the other sites that make up the Serious Eats universe. Now, I'm a freelance writer; find me on various corners of the Internet!

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